Banned Because of Free Speech or how the right wants to muzzle anyone they disagree with

Today Joan Baez, seen here still gettin' it done, revealed that she has been banned from ever performing at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC. It seems Ms. Baez, seen here still gettin' it done, has used too much of her Constitutional right to free speech that is afforded to her by the Bill Of Rights. Jeebus knows it's a fine thing to talk about freedom of speech, but heaven forbid anyone should actually do so. Ms. Baez, seen here still gettin' it done, has had a long history of speaking out against war and speaking out for progressive causes and Jeebus knows we can't have that type of thing going on in a place where soldiers who allegedly fought to guarantee our right to free speech are treated. No, no siree, they don't deserve to hear anyone sing or talk if their opinions clash with the right wing. Ms. Baez, seen here still gettin' it done, has admitted that she could have been nicer when speaking about the soldiers who came home from Vietnam, but we guess that the right wing in this country does not believe in forgiveness.








Sadly however, this type of thing, the banning of people from certain types of venues, has been going on for the last six years, or ever since King Georgie ascended the throne. You may recall a film that came out quite awhile back called Bull Durham. And you may recall that this film starred noted progressive peace activists Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, both seen here gettin' it done. Well a few years back, not that long actually, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY planned to have all the stars of Bull Durham up to the Hall to fete the anniversary of the film. But just when you thought that everything was hunky dory, the new director of the Hall, a former bush jr White House employee/lackey, said that neither Robbins nor Sarandon would be allowed to speak at the event, because of unfounded fears that they would say something anti war or anti bush jr, or to even appear at the Hall in conjunction with the film. To their credit Kevin Costner, Robert Whul, and Ron Shelton said that if Robbins and Sarandon were not allowed to appear, then they would not attend either. So the event was cancelled and those who dared to use their freedom of speech were "smacked down."

Okay, so who suffers when performers who speak out against war and for progressive causes get banned? The performers themselves? Nope, they'll go somewhere else and they'll still speak out regardless. The people who would have heard the performers? Yes, it's sad that someone else makes that decision for them. But in the end we all suffer because they are censoring people they disagree with and nothing is more anti American than that.

In the interests of full disclosure, we admit it, we have crushes on Ms. Baez and Ms. Sarandon and we have a man crush on Mr. Robbins.